What I Think Happened After Deathly Hallows
by Mione Weasley 3
Summary: Starting immediately after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, a story of love, life, and the future of the post-war world from Hermione and Ron's point of view. Rated T to be safe. I don't own Potter, Jo does, and therefore I owe her my life.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The battle was over. It had ended. That fight that had influenced so many things in her life was finished and now she could be herself. These thoughts flitted across her mind as she walked, her right hand clutched in Ron's left, towards the Great Hall. Everything was running through her tired mind; it seemed everything had happened in the last twenty-four hours. Breaking into Gringotts, the Battle of Hogwarts, and now Voldemort was gone. She shivered, and it shook her whole body. Ron stopped walking when this happened and it took her a moment to realize it, making her stop a foot or so in front of him. She turned around.

"We don't have to go back to the Great Hall," he said softy. Hermione looked up at him, saw the tears still in his eyes and the dirt, grime, blood, and everything else covering his face. She knew she looked no better.

"Only if you don't want to," she said, almost in a whisper, "though your mum might want you to."

"We can go back." She turned back around slowly and he followed her until they reached the Great Hall. Together they walked over to his family and Ron's hand fell from hers as she went over to Ginny, who was sitting farther down the table near her parents. His eyes lingered on her for a moment as she walked over and sat down next to Ginny, before sitting down himself.

Ginny leaned against Hermione. So many things had happened since they were last together, but they didn't talk to each other. They just sat; it was enough knowing that they were together and it was over. Then Ginny spoke. "Where is he?"

Hermione knew who she was talking about: Harry. "He went up to the tower, he… we've been up for hours." She said it in a quiet way so that no one around them could hear.

"Will you walk up with me?" Ginny asked. "I don't think I can walk up there alone, and he shouldn't be alone either."

Hermione simply nodded, and they got up. As they passed Ron, he got up and followed them. Once they were outside the Hall, Ron took Hermione's hand and she squeezed his hand back. They walked up together in silence past the crumbled walls, the bloodstained floors, and the broken windows of the castle. When they finally made it to the Gryffindor common room, the Fat Lady simply opened for them without a password. Harry was sitting there in one of the Trio's favorite chairs. He was asleep. Ginny stopped walking so abruptly that Hermione almost ran into her. The common room looked just as it had before they had left at the end of last year. Hermione whispered so as for Ron not to hear, "Do you want us to leave you?"

Ginny nodded, and Hermione turned to leave. But Ron stopped her and instead of leading her out of the common room, he walked toward the boy's dormitory, and she followed, her hand still held fast in his. Ginny watched, amazed for a moment, until they were out of sight. "Ron…" Hermione whispered, "where-?" But she stopped talking when he stopped walking and turned around.

"I know I haven't done things properly, there wasn't time at Shell Cottage, I know we talked and… but now it's over and…." He didn't finish.

"I meant it today," she began, "during the battle and at Shell Cottage. It has always been you, and I … I thought you knew that." He didn't say anything to this; he kept looking at the floor, and his ears had turned red. "Ron," she looked up as to try to look into his face, and he picked up his head and looked into her eyes. She blinked, and he leaned closer. His eyes were so blue even though he had been crying and he was exhausted. He closed his eyes and she closed hers. He kissed her. This kiss was not like the kiss they had shared during the battle. It wasn't rushed and built of fear that it would never be able to happen again. Nor was it like the kisses they had had at Shell Cottage, where again it had been out of fear that it would never be able to happen, that one of them would… that the unspeakable would happen. But it hadn't and wouldn't and they were together now. They broke apart, and Hermione's eyes were closed for longer than his. When she did open them she did it slowly as though not wanting to awake from a dream. She was already half asleep and hardly knew that this was real, but it was. Somehow, it must be. They both smiled a bit at the same time, but knowing that they couldn't smile fully, even though they were happy, because it wouldn't be right, not after everything that had been going on….

Her arms had somehow made their way around his neck and his around her waist. She was glad of this because she thought she might fall over, she was so tired and drained. She leaned back a bit so that she was partially against the wall and didn't have to support her whole self. He seemed to realize how tired she was, or at least knew how tired he was because he unlinked his own hands and took one of hers. She followed him up to the room where he had been once before, a long time ago, before almost any of this had happened, back in their second year when the diary was stolen from Harry. But this time it was different; there was no one else, just them, and they were older now. This meant… more. He sat down on what must have once been his bed, and she sat next to him. She gently put her head on his shoulder. She was so tired, wanting nothing more than to go to sleep….

"Do you still have the bag?" he asked.

"Yes." She wondered why he was asking. Then she realized; she must not have been thinking, they were covered in dirt and blood and all sorts of foul things. They had been wearing these clothes since they had gotten up at Bill and Fleur's what must have been only yesterday morning. But how could it have been? She pulled the little bag out of her pocket and reached into it. He was half watching her, half not, the rest of him consumed in thoughts of some kind or other. She pulled out clean clothes for each of them and then got up. He looked up and looked as though he was going to say something. "I thought Harry might like clean clothes too. If you want," she paused, "I'll come back."

He breathed the word yes and he waited, watching her leave before he changed quickly.

Hermione walked down the stairs to the common room. She could hear Harry and Ginny talking, and she didn't want to interrupt them; however, she wanted to give Harry the clothes, so she walked in and set them down on a couch near them and turned to leave. Harry looked up at her. "Thanks…"

"It's nothing," she said, and she left. She went up the girl's part of the tower to the bathroom and changed her clothes. She cleaned up as much as she could, but she didn't want to take the time to do anything else. She was tired, and she could shower later. They could sleep now; there was nothing to stop them, to worry them. No need to stand guard, to watch for Death Eaters and Voldemort.

She looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was still in a braid, a messy one, but it would just have to stay that way because she couldn't do anything until after she had taken a shower. She left and quickly went down the stairs and turned to go up the other set. She didn't want to bother Harry and Ginny this time. She went all the way up to the room she had entered now two times before. She knocked on the door and it opened.

Ron was standing there in the clothes she had just given him. He stood there for a moment and then he seemed to see that he was standing in the way of her entering the room and stepped aside. His hand reached up to her face, and he brushed the curls that had escaped the braid while they were fighting back behind her ear. Then he let his hand drop, and Hermione let out an almost inaudible sigh. He looked at her, took her hand and she followed him obediently. He sat down and she sat next to him, again putting her head on his shoulder, and this time he put his arm around her waist, pulling her close. She pulled her legs up onto the bed and leaned against him. She was so tired, and she was trying to keep her eyes open and stay awake but she couldn't. She was comfortable now, more comfortable than she had been in a long time, and she was warm and happy as she fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

When she woke she was not sitting up anymore. She woke up slowly, and when she tried to move she realized she couldn't. She let herself wake up a bit more, and as she did so she found that she was lying on her side with Ron's arms wrapped around her, one under her neck and the other on top of her waist. He was lying next to her, not touching her but close to her, close enough that she could feel his body heat. She still wasn't fully awake, and she couldn't see any light coming from the windows beyond the curtains of the bed. He must have closed them, because they had not been closed that morning. She let herself fall back asleep and as she did so, she wriggled closer to him, putting her hands on his chest.

The next time she woke up, light was beginning to peek around the edges of the curtains. She could see it from where her head was buried into his chest, so she tried to turn as for the light not shine in her eyes, but she didn't want to move; she was still comfortable, just as she had been before. However, her movement had been enough to tell Ron that she was awake. He pulled back a little, though reluctant, and Hermione's tilted her head up towards his.

"Good morning," he said softly, smiling. She smiled softy back, causing his ears to turn red. It made her laugh quietly. "What?" he said, torn between amusement and confusion.

"Nothing," she answered. "Just, it's all over now, isn't it? We don't have to go do anything, it's done."

"Yeah," he said back, and both of them were still speaking quietly as though worried about being overheard. "But that's not why you were laughing, was it?"

"Partially it was, and …" she trailed off, not wanting to tell him she had laughed because she thought his ears turning red was cute….

"And what?" he asked.

"Nothing, I already said that."

"But it isn't the real answer."

"It isn't important."

"I think it is." His voice had gotten a little bit louder.

"Shhh," she began as she raised one of her hands from her chest and brought it to his lips to tell him to be quiet.

"What time is it anyway?" he asked. The light peering through the curtains had gotten brighter in the few minutes that they were awake.

"I don't know, you're the one with a watch," she replied.

"Yeah," he retorted, "in your bag."

"Oh," she said. "Right, do you want me to get it?"

"Not really."

"Oh," was her only reply.

He brought his head down closer to hers and slowly, very slowly he brought his lips to hers again. She closed her eyes, and her hand that had been near his lips went to the back of his head, and she cradled it in her hand. Still their kisses were not the feverish ones full of fear; they were quieter somehow, the right kind to begin their relationship. They broke apart and moved a ways apart from each other. He looked at her, his ears still red, but his eyes were sad, and she smiled softly at him. He pulled her close and hugged her, and she hugged him back. She knew what he was thinking, and knew that it would be a long time until those thoughts about Fred did not hurt him anymore. She let him hold her as he sobbed, and it might have been half an hour before he let go and pulled back.

Ron had composed himself so that he was no longer crying, but she could tell he had been. She brought her head up on the pillows and kissed him this time, gently. "It's alright if you need to talk," she whispered softly as she pulled her head back. "I'll listen."

"I know," he said hoarsely to her. "We probably should see if anyone else is even still in the castle. I mean, what if they all left?"

"Ron," she said and then looked up to see he was trying to joke. "I guess we should see what time it is."

"Yeah," he said and he kissed her gently one more time. She pulled her hand reluctantly from behind his head and unclenched her fist that was holding onto his shirt. Then she tried to sit up but Ron still had his arms around her. "Sorry," he said and he moved his arm that had been around her waist. She sat up and picked her bag up from the edge of the bed and pulled out his rucksack; from that she took his watch.

"It's seven thirty-five. We have slept since yesterday mid-morning."

"Yeah well, nobody deserves it more than us," he replied, having sat up so that he was next to her. They were still whispering, hoping that no one else was up here. "Do you want to get up?"

"Yes, I think we should see how everyone else is doing." She answered his question, also thinking it might be nice to get completely clean.

Ron looked around from the corner of the curtain. "No one else is in here, none of the curtains are closed and there is no one in any of the beds." He pulled the curtain completely open and got out of the bed. Hermione pulled some clothes out of the bag and put them on the end of the bed. Then she got out some of her own. She got up, and Ron said, "wait." He grabbed his clothes and followed her. They walked quietly down to the common room expecting to find someone, but no one was there. "It's so empty." His words echoed across the room.

"Yes, it is…. Ron, I am going to go up, I'll be back in a bit, I want to clean up, I didn't have time to yesterday and.…"

"Yeah, I should do the same." He brushed some of the hair that had fallen out of her braid behind her ear again, and she turned and walked up the girls' stairs as he walked up the boys'.

She went to the bathroom, finding that it was still empty, which would mean fewer explanations as to where she had been, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She went over to one of the showers after grabbing a towel and shed her clothes before stepping into the warm water. It felt so good and she just stood for a few minutes before she got her soap, shampoo and conditioner. Then she washed her hair; when she was done, she dried off and put on clean clothes. She went over to the sinks to brush her hair and as she did so she saw the scars that Bellatrix had left for her for the first time in a while. She sighed and finished brushing her hair. She put all her things into the beaded bag and went downstairs, her hair already starting to curl and she pushed it out of her face before remembering the scar on her neck and pulling some of it back in front. Ron was sitting on the bottom step, waiting for her.

"Hi," he said, getting up.

"I didn't mean to keep you waiting."

"I wasn't here long." He took her hand and they started walking down to the Great Hall, figuring that that was where everyone was; they were starving, too. They started to hear voices as they approached the Great Hall. This time Ron did not drop Hermione's hand but walked all the way in with her. They reached the Weasleys and Ron sat down next to Bill across from Charlie, Hermione on the end of the row of Weasleys across from Ginny who was sitting between Charlie and Harry. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief that Harry was all right, obviously more than all right by the way he was looking at Ginny; their hands were on top of the table held together loosely, comfortably, in a way that looked very natural. Ron didn't seem to notice because he made no comment and Hermione knew that if he had seen he would have. But his attention was now taken by the food that sat in front of them. Neither of them had eaten much other than what Aberforth had given them and the bit they had managed to force down their throats the morning after the battle.

Upon seeing Ron, Mrs. Weasley began fussing over him. She hadn't seen him in months except for the few odd moments during the battle. It was a good thing that she was across the table, Hermione thought, because Ron was having enough difficulties with it from there. "That's enough mum, I'm fine." At this Mrs. Weasley half smiled, half sobbed, and she sat back down. They all continued to eat even though there was a heavy silence due to the fact that they were missing one person.

It felt so good to just sit, she thought, to not have to run and hide and fight. To not be in charge of doing so much, but she knew there was still one more thing that she had to do before this war was over for her, and she had been too consumed with everything else until now to remember it. She still had to go to Australia, find her parents, and remove the memory charms. Seeing Ron's parents fuss over him like that made her know that she had to; she missed them so much it had hurt her all year, and now perhaps it was in her power to find them. She lost herself in thought. She knew relatively where they were, she had made sure of that, but still, there would be so many things to do, and she needed to figure it all out. She needed to have a real plan, not like the ones they had been using all year, not like the ones that they had always come up with. Those were children's plans and she knew that now, knew that they had been foolish and they were lucky to be able to get through everything that they had been through. They had almost failed so many times; she couldn't let the one time that they did fail be now….

"Hermione," she heard Ron's voice, and Harry's too. She looked up, startled because it had made her mind flash back to the times they had called when there was trouble.

"Yes," she said in an almost scared voice.

"Nothing's wrong," Ron calmed her; he seemed to know it had startled her because he had taken her hand and squeezed it gently. "Everything's fine, we just wanted to talk."

"Oh."

"They're cleaning up the castle, McGonagall is going to go up now and ask others to stay, mum was just telling us."

"She's headmistress now," said Harry.

"I already knew she would be," added Ginny.

"So Professor McGonagall is going to ask us all to stay," Hermione began. "I suppose we will all stay to help."

"Yeah, I suppose we should."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

McGonagall entered the Great Hall and walked between the tables, two on either side. The room went quiet when she reached the podium where Dumbledore had once stood, but she seemed to find that she didn't belong standing behind it, so she came in front again. "I want to thank all of you for helping us win the battle that we fought so recently. I understand that there have been great loses for all of us; however, I believe that because we stood strong through it all, Albus Dumbledore would approve. Before we began to fight, three people entered the school, and these three people are sitting here in this room. Professor Dumbledore had left these three a mission, and they took it as their duty to finish it, even though they were all barely of age and may have taken their lives. There was no way for them to do it all themselves from what I understand, and yet they managed to do the majority of it, needing us only to stall for time at the end to hold this Battle of Hogwarts. This was not the first battle fought at this school, nor will I ever believe it to be the last, for we can only keep the forces that attempt to destroy us at bay; there is no way to conquer the evil of them forever.

"The castle that we fought in not long ago is partially in ruins. Yet I know for a fact that there are many of children who long to come back and walk its corridors again, learn again in the classrooms, and live in the dormitories. These children stayed to fight in the battle even though they were not of age, and many of them swapped their lives for the younger children's chance at this school. I agree with those who gave their lives for this school; it is something worth fighting for, and I will fight to keep it open.

"Even if I am the only one in this room who wishes to work to open this school again, I will because I believe everyone should have the chance to learn here. I am hopeful that some of you will work with me to rebuild the castle as there is lots of work that will have to be done, but this is not the first time the school has needed repair, nor is it the first time there was a battle here, nor even is it the first time I am faced with this problem of reopening the school. This time, at least to me, the answer is easier; last time we were faced with the death of one of our most beloved Headmasters and we didn't know where to turn. This time, though our headmaster is dead, it is more important to open the school for those who did not get a completed school year last year and those who have yet to come to the school at all. I feel that Professor Dumbledore would be proud if we could rebuild this school and make it work to its full potential once more."

There was silence for a minute or two, as if people didn't know how to respond to her request, and then starting with the Gryffindors everyone started to stand and clap, even the few Slytherins who had stayed to fight for Hogwart's side. McGonagall tried to talk again, and when people realized this they sat back down and stopped clapping. "If we can divide into teams, so we can work in an orderly fashion, I believe we will accomplish more," she began. "If I can have some volunteers to lead the groups...?" A few people started to go up to the front and Hermione looked at Ron expectantly, and then they both looked at Harry.

"Do you think we should go up there mate?" asked Ron.

"Yeah," replied Harry and as he got up, Ginny did as well as Ron and Hermione. Bill and Fleur followed them up as well, holding hands. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley followed but stood apart from the rest, as if to say that they would lead a group as well, and Percy and Charlie joined their parents. George hadn't been sitting with them. The rest of the people who had been sitting at the tables had gotten up at this point, all trying to join groups. A huge amount of them tried to sift towards Harry, but the crowd was too large and it was difficult to find anyone for a few minutes until everyone had sorted themselves out. McGonagall now walked up and turned so that her back was to the tables. She started assigning groups to different areas of the castle, the large groups to the areas with the most damage. It seemed as though she had already walked though and figured out what needed to be done. By the time she had reached Harry's group there was no one left in the Great Hall but them.

"You don't need to help us Potter," she directly to Harry, "You have done enough for this fight, as have you, Granger, Weasley, Weasley," she looked at each one when she said this.

"We know we don't need to," Harry started, "But we want to, I want to, Hogwarts is my home, the first place I ever felt happy, I want to help fix it."

"Us as well," said Ron, gesturing to him and Hermione.

"We really do want to help," Hermione added.

McGonagall sent them to go work in a corridor up by the Gryffindor common room, so the six of the Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Bill, and Fleur walked out of the Great Hall and started up the stairs.

"Do we get an explanation for what happened before you came to our house," asked Bill once they were alone walking up the stairs.

"Ask Harry, it's not my story to tell," said Ron.

"Vell you must teell us zhan 'arry," said Fleur.

"Later," he said, glancing at Ginny. "I don't really want to think about it."

"I didn't bother you then; however I feel I have a right too now, Harry we need to know what was going on, we are in the Order."

"I don't want to tell the story, not to anyone, no matter if your in the Order or not."

"Harry," Hermione said gently, "I think … I think we better share what happened, not all of it, but a broad picture, so that they know what was going on, what we did, just like they did for us before our fifth year. Everyone needs to know what happens, it's … its like history; you learn history so that you can learn not to make the mistakes others have made before you. They need to know what Voldemort did, and what we did, and what Dumbledore did, and least some of it, enough that they will understand what happened, and then there won't be rumors, and lies running around."

"Fine," answered Harry reluctantly. "I'll tell you while we are working. Hermione's right."

When they reached the corridors near the Gryffindor tower, they started working right away. It wasn't too bad here; not much of the fighting had happened this high up the castle, and Hermione had the feeling McGonagall had given them the easy job on purpose, figuring they had done enough for the fight already. Everyone worked without talking, except Harry. He told their story, omitting anything that wasn't directly related to the Horcrux hunt and the Hallows. Even on parts of those he skipped things, going to Godric's Hallow, where the Hallows were now, and some of the more private parts of their journey. Hermione and Ron made occasional comments and additions.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

A while later they found themselves sitting in the Great Hall for lunch. Hardly anyone had arrived back yet, and after grabbing some food off the table, Ron took Hermione's hand and they left the Great Hall, Hermione said a quick "see you later" to Harry as they walked away from where he was sitting down.

"I wanted to tell you something, when Harry was talking, but it was just for you to hear, so um…I thought we could come out here, and talk alone." While he had said this they had gotten to the front doors and he dropped her hand so he could open the door. They walked though and as soon as he had closed the door he took her hand again. They walked all the way to their favorite beech tree by the lake in silence, just walking hand in hand, happy to be together, carefree because it was all over. Ron sat down and Hermione sat next to him. They looked out on the lake, and Ron started eating the food he had brought out. "Do you want some?"

"Yes, thanks," she said and he handed her a sandwich and a butterbeer. "What did you want to tell me?" She asked softly. They had dropped hands by this point but she was sitting so close to him that she could feel the heat from his body.

"When we finish eating," he answered. She had the feeling it wasn't something happy, or something he wanted to talk about, but something he knew he should. She wanted to know, she was too curious for her own good. They finished eating in silence, but it was a good kind of silence. Just to try something, she leaned against him, every so gently, so that their shoulders were touching. She peeked out the corner of her eye and saw that his ears turned red again, she smiled to herself and then did something else, she took his hand that was resting on knee. Again she peeked at his eyes, this time they had turned redder. She giggled softly. "What," he asked.

"I'm just happy," she smiled and looked up at his face. He looked away, he had finished eating. "What is it you wanted to tell me, it really is alright, I'll listen."

"The locket didn't just scream." He said and his voice shook a little. She kept her head where it was, so if he wanted to look back at her he could, but he didn't look back, he just kept talking, his voice shaking. "Harry said I destroyed the locket, and it screamed, we … we told you that too … remember, when I … when I came back …." He stopped and took a shaky breath as though expecting her to say something, she wondered what to say for a moment and then spoke.

"It doesn't matter now Ron, I forgave you a long time ago for leaving, I … I just didn't say anything, I was cruel."

"No, I was stupid for leaving." He was angry now, Hermione could hear it in his voice.

"No," she said gently. "You were worried about your family and you were frustrated and angry, you left because of what the locket made you think.

"The locket didn't … didn't only make me think of them, it made me think of you."

"Me …."

"It told me you and … you …you and Harry were, were together, that you … that you … liked him … that I was nothing …."

"Ron, you know that's not true," she had moved a bit now, trying to see his face, but he wouldn't let her.

"Let me finish," he said, and he was trying to control his voice but it was still shaking and he must have been crying or on the verge of tears because Hermione could hear the same sound in his voice that she had heard this morning when he had finished crying about his brother. "When Harry opened the locket … before I killed it you came out, you and Harry. You … you talked but your voices they weren't your voices … they were his and you said I was nothing compared to Harry … that … that no one would ever want me. And Harry … he … he said mum would rather him for a son. Then … then … he … and you … you …."

Hermione knew what he was trying to say, and she didn't want him to have to say it, but he continued. "After that," he never did say what happened, Hermione knew, and she didn't need him to say it. "After that I stabbed it, and when it was gone, Harry said … he said that he felt like you were his sister and he reckoned you felt the same." He stopped; he was waiting for her to speak now.

"Ron, I thought you knew, how could," she stopped talking for a moment, composed herself and started again. "It has always been you, I thought you knew that, I thought you would have figured that out, I acted … I acted so different to the two of you." Again she paused. And finally his face turned back around and she was not surprised to see that he had a few tears running down his cheeks. She knew she was crying as well. She raised a hand up and brushed away some of his tears, his ears turned the faintest shade of red. He moved his head so he was completely looking at her and he whispered, so quiet she could almost not hear him.

"Do you mean it?"

"I'll always mean it." He took the hand that had been holding hers and raised it up to her face, he wiped her tears away and then looked into her eyes; she still had tears in them. He closed the space between them and kissed her. When he pulled away she took a minute to open her eyes, she wanted that feeling, of his lips on hers to be forever bound in her memory. When she opened her eyes she found she was looking into Ron's and she could tell he was smiling. She put her head on his shoulder, they were still sitting side by side, he put his arms slowly around her. For a while they did nothing but watch the lake. She broke the silence first, "I need to go to Australia." She expected him to react, to be surprised but he wasn't.

"We have to go get your parents; they don't have to stay there anymore. You'll give them back their memories."

"Yes," she said, and then added because the fear had consumed her and she had not voiced it to anyone. He had confided in her and she would do the same to him. "You think they will be alright?" she asked in a scared and quiet voice.

"Hermione your brilliant, you didn't make a mistake with the charms, they'll be fine."

"I am not brilliant, I …."

"You're Hermione, you're brilliant."

"Ron!"

"What, those words are like synonyms."

"They are not honestly," she didn't understand why he always had to make it an initiate and argument, what was the point. She pulled her head off his shoulder.

"Don't, I didn't mean to make you mad. Please 'Mione. I'm sorry."

" 'Mione?"

"That's what … never mind."

"That's what?" she asked peering around trying to look into his face, she had a small smile playing on her lips.

"Its just, well, your name … it's a hard one to come up with nicknames for, and that was the one I thought of…." He trailed off.

"I like it, on one condition," she said to him. "Only you can call me it. Don't tell anyone else."

Okay … 'Mione." He looked at her and smiled. Then he leaned forward and kissed her again. They stayed sitting down by the lake until the sun was beginning to set. Even though they hadn't eaten since lunchtime they didn't go back up to the castle until it was late. By the time they got back up there was hardly anyone left in the Great Hall. They sat down next to each other at the Gryffindor table and ate dinner. As they ate people came up, and told them what a great job they had done, and asked where Harry was, wanting to congratulate him as well. At first Ron seemed to think it was cool but after a few times he obviously found it annoying. "Bloody hell, now I understand why Harry doesn't like this, let's go." And he got up taking her hand that had been lying on the table.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Hermione had found it annoying as well and was glad that Ron was sick of it as well. She didn't know how Harry had put up with it, but then again she didn't know how Harry managed to do most of the things he had done. They walked up, and up, towards the corridors they had mended today and the Gryffindor tower. Hermione wondered what Ron was thinking, he must know his whole family would be there. When they got there, the Fat Lady did not ask for a password but swung open at their approach. Hermione had been right in her thinking, all the Weasleys, along with about fifty other Gryffindors of various ages were in the common room. Nobody looked towards the portrait hole when it swung open; it seemed to be a normal occurrence. Ron walked over to his family, and Hermione followed, her hand still in his. When they reached his family she saw several small glances at their clasped hands however no note of it was made other than Ron's ears turning slightly red.

The Weasleys had not been talking when Ron and Hermione approached them, they seemed lost in thoughts about Fred, and George was still no where to be seen. Hermione thought he must be hiding from them until he could face it himself; she didn't know how long that would take. But the absence of the twins jokes seemed to take its toll on the Weasleys, the sad almost brokenness of it made her want to cry and she was glad that Ron sat down on the couch and she could sit down next to him. Fleur had her beautiful face turned away, hidden against Bill's shoulder where they sat in an over sized arm chair near the fire. Bill had his arm around her and Hermione could still see tear tracks on his face, glinting in the light. Fleur was crying quietly, shaking almost to the point she couldn't see it. Hermione's eyes traveled across to where she saw Charlie and Percy sitting on the floor near the fire both of them with their heads now turned away from the rest. She couldn't tell if they showed their grief though tears. Ginny and Harry weren't here, she thought they must have done what she and Ron had done earlier and went out on the grounds for some privacy. Ron's parents were sitting on another couch, not far from where the others were, their faces not directed towards the fire but not her and Ron either.

Hermione didn't know what to do, it was as though she didn't belong, the rest of them were family, and she thought she ought to leave, but she didn't know where she would go. She thought she had better start out though; she could go for a walk on the grounds or to the library, which was where she had always felt at home. She started to get up, and was about to unclasp her hand from Ron's when he got up as well, following her, as though he knew what she was thinking.

"No," she said in a whisper so that no one else could hear. "You need to stay; they need you to be here."

"No, I need to be with you, they are all together, look they don't have George or Ginny or…" he stopped before giving the name Fred. "You can't go by yourself, not after everything that's happened."

"I would be perfectly capable, this is because I'm a girl isn't it, that's ridiculous Ron." She was getting a little bit angry at him now; and her voice was not as quiet of a whisper.

"Don't argue me about this, I don't want to. I don't have a reason to anymore. Let's just go, they don't care." The look he gave her, almost pleading, made her listen to him even though she had not planned to before.

"Oh all right," she said because in her heart it was what she wanted as well, her brain just told her that he should have stayed.

He didn't let her hand slip from his grasp, but took it firmly and they walked out of the room. Once the portrait hole had closed Ron said, "I'm not going back up there, there are too many people."

"Then where on earth do you plan on sleeping?"

"The Room of Requirement, if you think it still works after that bloody fire thing."

"The Room … I don't know if, well if it we don't try to get back in the room we were in, the Room of Hidden Things, we make an entirely new room, it might work." She wasn't sure, but she figured it was worth a try. They walked all the way to the corridor where the entrance to the room was. He walked back and forth in front of the door, and she walked with him because they were still holding hands. After their third time walking past, a door materialized.

"Does that mean it worked?"

"I don't know if that means the rest of it works, we can try though." She answered his question as best as she could. He opens the door and as he did so, she closed her eyes, scared of what might happen. Ron must have stepped forward, into the room, for the next thing Hermione knew he was tugging on her hand.

"'Mione, its fine, look," he told her. And she opened her eyes and stepped into the room with him. Just when she had stepped through the opening the door closed behind them. "We can ask it to not let anyone in if you want."

"That was the point of coming here if I'm not mistaken."

"Alright, well, room um … don't let anyone else in but 'Mione and me."

"I don't think you have to say it out loud," Hermione giggled, "I think it just knows."

"Oh well it doesn't matter." He replied, looking embarrassed. They looked around the room, and upon seeing an arm chair Hermione went over and sat down, dropping Ron's hand. He followed her after glancing around. He sat down next to her and Hermione said for the second time today, something about her parents.

"I really have to go get them Ron, and I want to do it as soon as possible."

She didn't even have to say what she was talking about, he knew, "When do you want to leave?"

"As soon as possible, I'll have to buy plane tickets, you can't apparate that far, at least not in one shot, and its to much of a hassle to try to figure out places to stop."

"Plane?"

"Yes, I'll need to buy a roundtrip ticket for an airplane flight to Australia, I plan on staying there for about a week, enough time to find them, fix their memories and help them begin to get things settled. But not to long, I need to be here and help this world as well."

"You need to buy two tickets."

"Two?…. Oh, Ron, you have to stay with your family. I need to go find mine, they need you, you can't … you can't just leave them."

"Why can't I leave them, I'm of age, and I'm not letting you run halfway around the world by yourself."

"Ron …" she didn't know what to say, this was knew to her, not having an answer, a retort to his argument, she wanted him to come with her, she didn't want to be alone, and she knew that was selfish. She had to make him stay with his family, they needed him; they could lose another son.

""Mione, you'll just have to wait a while, about a week. We'll stay here, unless mum wants to go back to the Burrow. You have to stay while … for the … for the funerals."

"I will, that was my plan, but …"

"But nothing," he was looking at her now. "How do we buy these, err… tickets. Do you have Muggle money?"

"Some, it's in the bag somewhere. I'll have to pull everything out to look for it, the bag isn't organized like it once was."

"Because the books you had stacked by subject all fell over."

"How do you remember me saying that?"

He shrugged, and then asked, "Did you want to go through the bag now?"

"Yes." She took the little crumpled bag out of her jean pocket after standing up, and then, instead of sitting back on the couch she sat on the floor. She pulled it open and began drawing things out of it, starting with the tent that Bill and Fleur had given them and the clothes they had washed at Shell Cottage. She started taking more and more things out, pulling books and clothes and the teapot. She had her arm in all the way up, and she drew her hand out with nothing in it. She picked up Bellatrix's wand and started summing the last things up. But she stopped after a few books and put the wand down. She drew her knees up and curled herself into a ball. "I hate that wand," she said softy but with hatred in her voice. "I hate that wand and it knows it, it doesn't work right for me, and I don't even know where my wand is."

"I do," Ron said as he took the bag from the floor picked his own wand up and got the rest of the books from the bottom. He shook it and there was the sound of coins hitting coins, he put the bag down and moved over to sit next to Hermione. He put his arm around her shoulders, "I think they put all the wands that were … that were left in one of the rooms off the Great Hall. So that people could find their … their loved ones wands. I bet yours is there because Bellatrix is gone …" He didn't mention his mother had killed her. "Mine might be in there too, I hope it is or else I might just go break into Malfoy Manor because Peter's wand doesn't work the same, its like, it's almost like it doesn't know me."

"Well that's the way wands work, isn't it?" she said as she brought her head up and there were tears running down her face. "They get to know you, they choose you, I guess her wand … I didn't take it from her … it … it isn't even mine like Peter's is yours."

"No, I don't even remember who her wand is now; it could be either me or Harry."

"Can we go look sometime soon? Ask Professor McGonagall so that I can have it back, I need it …" she was till crying the tears streaming down her face. "I need it to give them back their memories."

"Do you want to go down now? Or in the morning?"

She took a few deep breaths and moved a little closer to him. "In the morning's fine, I just need to make sure I get it back eventually."

"We'll get it in the morning then."

She leaned closer and yawned. "I want to go to sleep now, I feel like I'll never be fully awake again." Ron got to his feet and offered her a hand to get up. She let him help her. The looked over at the other side of the room, where there had been nothing before there was a bed like the ones in the dormitories. On the other side of the bed, the far side of the room, there were two doors, they walked over, curious as to what they could be. "The room just knows …" Both of the rooms were bathrooms, Hermione went back over to where all the stuff was lying on the ground from the bag and picked up some pajamas for herself. Ron did the same. They went into their separate bathrooms and Hermione feeling as that even though she had taken a shower that morning that she would never be able to get the grim off of her from the battle, showered again. She closed her eyes when she showered, not because soap was getting gin her eyes but because of the scars, she didn't want to see them again. She finished showering and got dressed, peeking only slightly through her lids so that she could tell what she was picking up. Once she was dressed she opened her eyes to brush her hair, the only scar she could see was the one on her neck where Bellatrix had threatened to end her life with the silver knife that only minutes later had killed Dobby. She finished combing her hair and gathered her things together. When she walked out of the bathroom she found Ron sitting on the bed, he had something in his hand.

"Here, I went down and got this for you, before I got ready for bed," he added the end unnecessarily. He held out at arms length what he was holding in his hand, her wand. She took it, looked at it for a minute and then she set it down on the table by the bed before running at Ron and throwing her arms around his neck. "It's nothing, really." He mumbled, but put his arms around her all the same. She pulled back after a few moments and the leaned forward again, only this time she let her lips find his. He seemed surprised at first, but then he responded. His hands moved from around her waist up to behind her head and by her face. After a minute they broke apart, both somewhat breathless. They smiled at each other. She unclasped her hands and took them from behind his head. He let his hands fall as well and she climbed up and crawled onto the bed.

"I'm going to just fall asleep," she said, yawning again and pulling the covers back and slipping between the blankets on the far side of the bed from where he was sitting. He lay down next to her, so that they were facing each other, just as they had been the night before. Ron slipped his arm closest to the bed underneath her neck, just as he had the night before and again put his other arm around her waist and drew her close. They were both sad, consumed in that grief for Lupin, Tonks and Fred that seemed as though it would never go away. She tucked her head to his chest and they went to sleep almost immediately.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

In the morning they woke, slowly, not wanting to get up. Hermione cuddled closer to Ron and he was perfectly willing to oblige. For a while they let themselves just lay there, happy, peaceful, and content however after a while Hermione started to move to sit up. "What?" Ron mumbled sleepily as he sat up.

"I was just getting up," Hermione said, "you didn't have to."

"Ah well, its starting to get bright anyway." He stretched and Hermione got out of bed and went over to where they had taken all the stuff out of the beaded bag last night. She picked out the clean clothes she wanted to wear, went into the bathroom and changed. When she came out Ron was still sitting on the bed.

"I thought you were going to get up." She said to him teasingly.

"I will, in just a minute, you can go read or something, I dunno." He said as he lay back down with a flop.

"I'll have time to read a whole novel." She laughed.

"All right … all right, I'll get up." He sat back up and walked over to where she had gone by the beaded bag. She was dumping the muggle money out of the bottom of it.

"Here," she handed him the bag, "would you see if you can reach anything else at the bottom."

"Yeah," he dug his hand in, "blimey Hermione, I can't even reach the bottom of this bag."

"Then will you had me my wand so that I can check," she asked.

"Hold on," he handed her back the bag and walked the few steps to pick up her wand. He handed it to her, and she checked to make sure there wasn't anything hiding at the bottom. Slowly she began putting things back into the bag that she felt sure they wouldn't need for a while, the portrait of Phinias Nigelius, the tent that Bill and Fleur had kindly given them, and the tea kettle. Then she started putting in books and clothing. Ron was watching her.

"Aren't you going to get dressed," she asked, annoyed that he expected her to do all the packing.

"Oh … yeah," he grabbed the nearest clothes that were his and went to get dressed. When he came back Hermione had packed pretty much everything. There was still some clothes, a few books and the muggle money. Hermione took her wand and muttered something under her breath, the wand directed into the bag. Then she scooped up the money and tucked it into the pocket she had just created. Ron handed her the last couple of books and she put in the last of her clothing.

"Do you want to go down to the Great Hall?" she asked.

"Yeah," he nodded and held out his hand. She took it, after slipping the beaded bag into her pocket, and they walked out of the Room of Requirement. Once they reached the Great Hall Hermione saw three red head sitting at the Gryffindor table. Ron and her walked in that direction, and she sat down next to Ginny who was sitting next to Harry.

"I was wondering when you'd get here," said Bill, directing his gaze at Ron. They had entered in the middle of a conversation. "As I was telling the others," Hermione looked around to see Fleur, Harry, Ginny, and Percy, "McGonagall, the other members of the Order of the Phoenix, and the teaching staff, decided that all those who lost their lives battling for Hogwarts are going to be buried here.

"There is to be an event two days from now, that's when everyone is going to be buried. The Order is going to figure out the logistics of it all, but the basic idea is that everyone who is being buried will have one person speak a piece about them. The rest of us all agreed with mum, George is going to speak. Harry is going to speak for both Lupin and Snape and Andromeda is of course going to speak for Tonks." He paused and then said. "Charlie went to go find George, we have to have him agree to do it, if he doesn't …" Bill stopped again and Fleur gently covered his hands with hers in a comforting gesture. "If he doesn't then I suppose either mum and dad or I will do it."

"Why you?" There was a hint of jealousy in Ron's voice, Hermione didn't know if anyone else could hear it, but she could. It was that same sound that ended up in his voice whenever his brothers, or even Ginny, did something that he didn't do.

"Because I'm the eldest, but I hope it doesn't come to that, I don't know if I could do it, I don't know how Harry is planning to do two of them." His voice was sharp but understanding, as if he had known the same thing Hermione did. "You two can eat."

"We know," Ron replied sarcastically, and he filled his plate while Hermione did the same. While they were eating, nobody spoke until Percy.

"Charlie had luck," he sounded amazed, and everyone looked up. George walked in with Charlie and they came over and sat down on the same side of the table as Bill, Fleur, and Percy.

"I'll speak for Fred," George said, he voice was a little cracked, as though from disuse. "I just need to figure out exactly what I want to say. Just tell me if there's something you want me to put in"

"I think you'll find the words without us," Bill answered before anyone else could. Hermione knew what he meant, knew that George needed to understand that life wasn't over because of this and he could still go on laughing, joking, teasing.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Later in the day, after dinner, after Ron had spent some time with his family and after Hermione had sat and planned, Ron and Hermione were walking back to the Room of Requirement, they had both decided that, even though it seemed a bit selfish to keep it from Harry, it was nice to not be bothered by a million people.

"Tomorrow I need to apparate to the town by were you live, or the one by where I used to live. I need to find a place with a computer so that I can reserve our plane tickets."

"How do you do that?"

"Well, I'm … I'm not exactly sure, but it can't be to hard, I mean mum and dad used to do it for all our trips and it didn't take them too long. I figure if I have an hour or two I can figure it out. There aren't any books on it here at this library, I was in there this afternoon when you were with your family just to check and I looked though all my books this morning and I don't have anything."

"Hermione calm down, I'm sure we'll figure it out, it can't be that hard, I mean all those muggles do it right?"

"I'm just so worried something is going to go wrong after all this, we've been so foolish." They had reached the room now and were walking back and front of it, Ron opened it and they went it. The door closed behind them. "Our plans have been so childish and silly, don't you see? We use Polyjuice potion and Skiving Snackboxes almost every time, and the only reason they ever work is because we skip the plan or we are lucky or I don't know." She took her hand from Ron's and brought both of her hands to her face. He moved in front of her and drew her close into a hug; she didn't try to draw back. She took her hands away from her face and cried into his chest.

"It's okay 'Mione, its going to be fine, if you'd rather we could ask Kingsley so that we could Portkey over there and back." She mumbled something but he could hear her. "What, I am going to take that as a yes, it's a lot easier, I know you wanted to do it non magically, but really, I don't think I trust these muggle things, how do they hold you up if it isn't magic, really."

"Oh Ron," she pulled back a little and tilted her head up so that he could hear her. "They really do work airplanes. It's called lift; I can explain it to you. But I think your right, Portkey would be easier and then if my parents want to come home with us I can put their stuff in my bag and they come."

"See it makes more sense, you were worried about a plan and I come up with it, me, did you ever expect that you would agree with me on a plan, an idea, after having one of your own." He laughed.

"Maybe I'll go back to my idea, you sound way to happy about this."

"No, I'm going to go talk to Kingsley right now," he leaned down and kissed her. "I reckon you should come with me since it is your parents." He took his arms from around her reluctantly and clasped her left in his right. He opened the door and started walking so quickly that Hermione was having a hard time keeping up.

"Are you just trying to make it so I run out of breath and don't have time to change my mind?" she asked him.

"Maybe."

"Well I won't change my mind, just walk slower, we ran around this castle enough a few days ago."

"Promise you won't change your mind."

"I promise."

"Okay, I'll slow down." He walked at a slower, more normal pace, and she was able to catch up.

"Where do you think that Kingsley is, you aren't planning just to roam the castle are you?"

"No, I thought he might be in Dumble … er … McGonagall's office."

"He might be," she responded, "it's worth a try. And if he isn't we can talk to Professor McGonagall." They hurried along until they reached to stone gargoyle. Then Ron stopped abruptly an Hermione realized why: they didn't have the password.

"Er … Harry always said they were candy before, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, um … Chocolate Frog's, no? um … how about Ice Mice, Lemon Drops, Cockroach Clusters, uhh … come on, it was always candy when Dumbledore was the headmaster …." The door opened. "It was Dumbledore?"

The gargoyle nodded. "You may go up."

Hermione and Ron went up the moving steps to the office that had once been Dumbledore's.

"Hello? Professor McGonagall are you in here?" Hermione asked tentatively.

"It's nice to see you two," McGonagall said. Hermione and Ron looked and saw her in the back by a shelf of books. She started walking towards the two of them. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Well Professor," Ron began, "we need to talk to Kingsley and we wondered if he might be here."

"I think the Minister of Magic has more important things to do than to sit around in my office all day. Is there something I can help you with instead? If its Order work you require …"

"It's not but you might be able to help, we, er … Hermione and I need a Portkey to Australia. "

"I take it there is something else that needs to be done and again I get no answers." She sounded stern as usual.

"Well we can tell you … that is Hermione can tell you as long as she is alright with that." He looked at her and squeezed the hand of hers he was holding.

"Before Harry, Ron and I went on the mission, I was … I still am worried about my parents, they're muggles as you well know. I was afraid that the Death Eaters would try to torture information about me out of them, even if they didn't know and so I sent them into hiding. Only I didn't do it like the Order does, I changed their memories; they wouldn't know me if I walked up to their faces. I told them to live in Australia, it's a long way away and I thought the further the better, and their names are Wendell and Monica Wilkins. They don't know me; they don't know they have a daughter." She took a few deep calming breathes and Ron squeezed her hand encouragingly. "I need to go back and give them their memories. Is there a way Ron and I can have a Portkey to a place in Australia so that we can do that?"

"Yes, I think that we will be able to arrange it for you. But surely Potter is going with you, you three seem inseparable, I am surprised to see you apart at this moment."

"Oh, well … um … he isn't coming with us. This is just a two person job and we thought he had enough without trying to do this too."

"Well that's very noble of you. Where in Australia do you need to go and when do you need to be there." McGonagall asked. Hermione explained to her that they were going to go to the funerals and then they would leave in a few days she told McGonagall where exactly she needed to go and when she had finished McGonagall took out her wand. Then she pulled open a draw, took out a little toy car, then she waved her wand and a cat came out. "You know where to go," she told it and it left the room. Not a minute later a lynx, silver like the one they had seen at Bill and Fleur's wedding landed in the room.

"You may make them the Portkey Minerva." She pointed her wand at the toy and it glowed blue. "It will leave at ten thirty four days from this morning and bring you back exactly a week from then."

"Thank you Professor McGonagall, thank you so much!" Hermione was overjoyed, four days, four days and she would see her parents, she could never have expected it to be that soon had she had to buy plane tickets. Ron was right, Wizarding transportation was so much faster and reliable, not to mention cheaper, it wouldn't cost her a thing for getting there and she had been so worried about trying to open her parent's bank accounts. Ron gave a quick thank you as well and they left the office, Hermione had picked up the toy on the way out, hands still clasped tightly together.

On their way back Hermione told him what she needed to do, it helped her calm down. She knew exactly what needed to be done when they got to Australia, and there was nothing they needed to do before then. When the reached the Room, she finished explaining to him what they would need to do, and once she was finished they took their showers and got ready for bed. Ron was waiting for her again when she left the bathroom. He was sitting against the headboard of the bed, leaning casually, as if waiting for her like this was something he did everyday. Then the thought accourd to her, it was everyday. Everyday since she had been tortured he had waited for her to come out of the shower. At Shell Cottage he didn't stay, Luna had been sleeping in the same room, but he would come back after she had gotten under the cover and had time to fall asleep, that way they could make sure Luna had fallen asleep, and if Hermione had still been awake and scared he would stay because he knew he needed her. Hermione knew that right now it was almost the opposite and the thought that she should have been waiting for him passed through her mind. It was Ron that needed the comfort now, she would have to but aside her worries about her parents and her fears of the dreams that came to haunt her that hadn't come since she had been at Shell Cottage, but she supposed that was because of how tired she was, her brain couldn't even focus enough to scare herself. And anyway, she reminded herself, Bellatrix is dead, Mrs. Weasley made sure of that, but that thought frightened her and sent shivers down her spine as she walked over and got onto the bed next to Ron. She sat with her back against the headboard and sat close enough that their shoulders and arms were touching. He took her hand.

"You can talk to me about anything you need to." Hermione said softly, "remember that."

Ron nodded and slouched down so that he was lying on his side facing her. She did the same, sliding under the covers as she did so. He put the arm that wasn't occupied with holding her hand around her waist, kissed her gently once, and they fell asleep to the sound of each other's breathing.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The next day passed in an odd blur with preparations for the mass funeral. More repair work was done on the castle, and Hermione and Ron had been able to sneak a few moments together while they were repairing classrooms. By the time it was bedtime they were so exhausted that they walked up to the Room of Requirement, took their showers and crawled into bed. Ron looked scared as though he didn't know what to expect tomorrow.

"It doesn't seem real," he said in a whisper, "it seems like he is going to pop up any minute and tell a joke, I keep waiting to come tease me for it taking so long for us to be together, but its real isn't it, he isn't coming back."

She just nodded gently and he brushed his lips to hers before drawing her close to him and they fell asleep in each other's arms.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Ron, you need to go over and stand with your family, I'll be with Harry, look even Ginny is over there." As they walked out onto the grounds, dressed in dark mourning clothes, Hermione was trying to convince Ron that she couldn't stand with his family at this moment, it wouldn't be right. "I'll wait to go sit; as soon as you are going over to sit I will join you."

"Alright," he walked towards his parents and Hermione started walking in the opposite direction. She saw Harry standing by their favorite beech tree.

"Hi," she said at her approach.

"Hi," he replied, looking up from the grass and the lake.

"It seems like it has been ages since we really talked. You're always with Ginny now, I haven't even had a proper conversation with her."

"Well you're always with Ron, not that I am blaming you of course," he said hastily, "it's much better than the fighting, you even keep the snogging to a minimum. Which is a good thing because I reckon I might get mad like Ron does when I snog Ginny if you did."

Hermione giggled for a second before saying, "I think he is alright with it, you and Ginny, he would rather it was you than anyone else."

"I'm glad. Did he …." Harry stopped.

"He told me about the locket, yes."

"I wondered if he would, I told him afterwards that your like my sister, and I thought I could tell that to you too, because it's true, I love you like I suppose a brother would love a sister."

"And I love you like a sister loves a brother, but that doesn't mean you have to be over protective of me around Ron, even though he is your best friend, because the both of you are my best friends."

"Yes but are you going to tell me where you and Ron have been hiding."

"Maybe, if you tell me where you and Ginny have been."

"Fair deal, you tell first."

"No, oh all right, but you can't tell anyone."

"I won't. I promise."

"In the Room of Requirement, but you won't be able to get in."

"As if I want to. Ginny and I have been hiding outside for the most part actually, and going into deserted parts of the castle. I'm just trying to hide from all the attention, I'll never get used to it."

"And neither will I or Ron, it was kinda silly, at first, he liked it about the first four times and then he got annoyed. It was strange watching someone else annoy him."

"I bet."

"We haven't really fought for a while now," she said looking out across the lake. "It's been quite a while, other than silly playful arguments."

"They all were that for both of you, you were just trying to get the other one's attention."

"I know that now, but when I was thirteen, not so much."

They laughed together and looked out on the lake and up at the sky which was blue with white puffy clouds. Hermione glanced over at Ron's family, they were still in conversation with the little wizard who had done Dumbledore's funeral and Bill and Fleur's wedding. She sighed and said, "We haven't just been kids like that for a long time."

"Too long, but we aren't kids anymore Hermione."

"We lost all of the bits of childhood we had left last year. Harry, I … I hope you don't feel left out … Ron and I are going to Australia the day after tomorrow, to get my parents. I didn't think with everything you had to do that you would want to come with us. If you would like to you can, but with Ginny here. I mean, it's a Portkey, so if you want to come you can, but I really only need one person's help."

"I won't be to over-protective of my big sister," he said looking at her. "I reckon you and Ron are partially sane and won't kill each other at least."

"Harry!" but then she looked at him and saw that he was laughing and she was so glad he was laughing, she was afraid that he would never laugh again, the last time they had laughed had been before the battle when Ron said 'I hate to break this to you, but I think they might have noticed we broke into Gringotts.' She began to laugh a little too.

"When will you be back? From Australia that is."

"A week from when we leave, it just long enough to do what I need to do, explain things to my parents, get them ready, oh no …" she broke off.

"What's wrong?"

"Don't tell Ron," she hesitated.

"I won't if it doesn't need to be."

"It doesn't."

"Well then I won't."

"Their house. What if our house was destroyed, what if they came looking for my parents and me and no … no … no … they couldn't … no…." she couldn't speak.

"Hermione, I'll go to the house and fix it if it needs to be fixed, I'll go when you leave for Australia, it's my fault you did this all anyway."

"No Harry, it is not your fault, what it is, is that I am lucky beyond belief for you to have done what you did and made it so that I could have the chance to go get my parents."

"Hermione …."

"No Harry it isn't your fault, however if you would like to help me because you're my friend then I will allow you."

"I will go look the house see what needs to be done, I am your friend Hermione, and I will make sure it gets done before you get home. Can you teach me to do that talking patronus thing so that I can let you know what's going on?"

"When you conjure the patronus, when you think or say the spell, it doesn't matter, you think the message and to whom you want it to go to, you can picture them in your mind or their full name, it doesn't matter. You'll be able to do it no problem."

"Okay, thanks."

"What are you going to say about Snape?" Hermione asked cautiously.

"Some of it, but I think I'll leave out the part about him being in love with mum. I'll just say that they were friends, and those who matter will know that it was more. I'll say they were friends and he didn't mean to tell about the prophecy to Voldemort and he switched to our side before Voldemort's downfall. I'll tell him short why he was brave and loyal to Dumbledore."

Hermione looked at him and she smiled, feeling a fierce pride at that fact he could hate the man and still understand that, Harry and grown up so much and Ron too, oh her boys had grown up so much, they weren't little boys any more. She didn't need to be their extra mother, now she was in a sense Harry's sister and she was … something more to Ron she didn't know exactly what.

"And Lupin?"

"He was dad's best friend, other than Sirius, so I'll talk about all four of them and then what they meant to me."

"I just wanted to make sure you were going to be alright speaking it."

"I will be, I know how to deal with the grief by now, even if Ron hasn't. If he won't talk to you, talk to him."

"I … I will."

Hermione looked up watching the Weasleys as Ron and Ginny left their group to come get Hermione and Harry. She and Harry started walking to meet them and when they met, Ron took Hermione's hand and leaned close so that he could whisper in her ear, "Don't leave me 'Mione, not the whole time."

"I won't," she breathed back, so desperately quiet that no one else would be able to hear or even tell that her lips were moving. The walk together, barely a hairbreadth apart and Ron lead them over to where his family was sitting. He slid into the row, sitting down next to Charlie and Hermione sat down next to him so that Ginny was sitting between her and Harry. Ron keeps holding her hand and she puts her other hand on her knee. After about five minutes of silence the little wizard that spoke at Dumbledore's funeral got up and spoke, he said general things about those who fought and died in the Battle of Hogwarts, the individualism, the differences in it would come from those family members of the almost sixty members who died. The list of people started going in Alphabetic order, Dennis spoke for his brother when the time came, and Hermione was in tears, Ron was crying too she could tell, he was shaking every so slightly in that way. Harry went up for both Remus Lupin and Severus Snape, Hermione continued crying, know Ron was crying too, and Ron was trying to hold her, to comfort her in some way.

George's speech for Fred was the last, for no one's last name started with a letter after W who had died. George went up in front of all the people and stood for a moment. "We are all here because we lost someone that was our friend or our family. And the not having them with us, it hurts, a lot. I won't ever be 'hole' again." George smiles, a small smile. "But I was thinking yesterday, after Charlie asked me to do the speech for today, what I would talk about for Fred. And I've listened to all of your speeches today and I finally know how I want to say. I won't ever be 'hole' again, but I have one in the side of my head that Fred always used to make jokes about with me. Those jokes would all make us laugh, even when we knew Mad-eye was gone, Dumbledore was gone, and Sirius was gone. The important thing is that we keep laughing that we keep going. Fred died the way he lived I am told, my brother Percy was with him, as was my brother Ron, they said he was joking with Perce, and that's the way he lived, teasing us all. He thought it was great we were fighting at night in a castle, we'd never been in any of the fights during the war so far, and he thought it was great fun. Before we were called to come fight, Fred and I were making something, and I think it's fitting that I use it know. I perfected it yesterday." George took something out of his pocket and threw it up into the air, the air exploded and a firework slashed through the sky reading 'Potterwatch Forever' another one burst 'The End of Voldemort Nears' then another, 'Dumbledore's Army Fights Forever' and more and more and more of them flew from George's hand and burst in the air. When the fireworks died down and the crowd stopped making noise George said one more thing, "I think that this is what Fred would have wanted us to take from his sacrifice," one more firework shot from his hand and spelled out the words 'Laugh and Joke Forever.'

Hermione looked at Ron, wanting to know his reaction. To her great surprise he was smiling, "That was bloody brilliant," he said.

She looked up into his face and smiled. "It'll still hurt but George's right, he would want you to laugh and joke."

"And he would like to tease the micky out of us for finally getting together."

"Are we together? You seem to assume quite a lot, I believe one of your lines was 'Hermione come dance with me" without a question mark."

"Um … then I guess I better ask … 'Mione, will you go out with me, our first date will be going to give your parents back their memories in Australia."

"I think that sounds lovely, when is our date then Ron?" she asks jokingly and almost shyly.

"Tomorrow morning at 10:15 because we leave at 10:30 … Merlin's pants … mums going to kill me … I forgot to tell her."

"We can tell her in a minute," Hermione says, then begins to open her mouth to say something else when Ron's lips fell on hers and for the briefest second they are touching but knowing that someone could look any second made it so it was as quick as possible. The opened their eyes quickly and glanced around, no one had noticed. Slowly the masses of people began to make it back to Hogwarts. Ron was glancing around, looking for his parents. Many of the people that they passed were in tears and smiling at the same time. It was a strange feeling to be walking through all these people again.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

A while later they were in the Room of Requirement fast asleep in each others arms. Ron had explained to Mrs. and Mr. Weasley what they were doing. Though they didn't want to see their youngest son vanish off again, they understood that he needed to and that he would be back in a week.

In the morning Hermione woke, cuddled to Ron's chest. She opened her eye and could see some sun peeking in through the curtains.

"Ron, Ron, I think we better get up, please Ron," she tried to wriggle out of his grip but she didn't manage it. She continued wiggling to no avail until Ron began to wake up and stretch. "It's time to wake up." She picked up his watch from the bedside table, it's already eight ten, we need to go eat and then we have to make sure we are completely ready to go, you might also want to actually say goodbye to your family, something we didn't have time to last time, and what if I forgot something. Ron sat up, took her hand, and she turned around towards him.

"'Mione, calm down. It's all gonna be fine."

"I know Harry said he would deal with the house if it needed repair but what if its beyond magical repair, there are some things that you can't fix once they have been done by dark magic. Harry's house, in Godric's Hallow it's all destroyed isn't that because they couldn't fix it, I mean why would you just leave the house there, broken?"

"What, oh, that's just symbolic, it's just to be respectful to James and Lily Potter. They could fix it any old time. Don't worry about Harry not being able to fix your house even if it is in ruins which it won't be. The chance a Death Eater actually figured out where you live is very slim, and it's even a slimmer chance than that that they would destroy it."

"Oh … I'm just worried."

"I know. That's okay. Just try to calm down; it really is going to be fine." Ron said to her, trying to calm her down.

Hermione took a deep breath, calming herself down. And the two of them got dressed and went to the kitchen for breakfast, not the Great Hall. They wanted to not be bothered by hundreds of people who they knew would swamp them if they went there. Soon, it was time for them to leave, and they took the Portkey and left to go finish the mission that had begun before they were born.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

They had gone to Australia, and come home, her parents soon following. They were not angry with her per say, and when everyone got back to their house and settled in, Hermione had finished telling her parent everything they had not been told during her years at Hogwarts. Both parents decided to allow for her to go back with the Weasleys to the Burrow so she could keep up with the wizarding world. They would expect news from her, and would like her to come home sometime during the summer though, they said.

Ron brought Hermione back to the Burrow, and though much time was spent together between the trio, nothing serious was said. It was the calm quiet after the storm. They were happy. They had finished in a sense what they had started. It was time for them to be kids again and have no worries. But, that time could not last forever.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting on the floor in Ron's bedroom, talking.

"I'm going back to Hogwarts next year," said Hermione.

"Well, that was pretty obvious," said Ron, laughing a bit, and he hadn't in weeks, so Harry and Hermione joined him.

"I'm not going back," Harry told them after a minute of laughter. And his tone was somber.

"I knew you wouldn't," Hermione said sadly to him, and she looked at him.

"Kingsley offered for us to become Aurors without finishing at Hogwarts. You could probably take the offer up with us, after finishing at Hogwarts." Ron asked.

"I will be doing the Auror training," Harry said slowly, "I don't think I would ever be able to not fight against the death eaters. It's just in me now."

"I won't, that's not what I want to do," Hermione replied. "I'm not that same as both of you, you love doing that, it's in you, ingrained in every fiber of your being. But I went along because you two were there, not because I had in me what you do. My bravery wasn't fueled by what yours was; mine is and will ever only be loyalty."

"I think we knew that, Harry and I." Ron stated, thoughtfully. "I'm going to take Kingsley up on his offer. But it is three years of training first, before we get to be full fledged Aurors. And while we are training, I will help George out in the store, he's going to need it."

"I think that's a wonderful plan, Ron," Hermione told him. "Auror training is lots of work, the two of you will have the next three years stock full."

"I think we know that," said Harry. "But that's a good thing."

"Very true," Hermione began, "takes our minds off things."

Someone knocked on the door, and Ron said, "Who is it?" Ginny opened the door.

"I was wondering where you three were," Ginny said. She looked at Harry, and with a tiny jerk of her head, he got up and followed her out of the room. Their conversation was over.

Hermione looked at Ron, who was looking at the door that had just closed behind Harry and Ginny. "You'd better get used to that."

"That will take a while," Ron said, his eyes moving back to rest on Hermione's face.

"I think you'll have quite sometime to get used to it." She said to him, her brown eyes looking straight into his. "We have all the time in the world now."

"Yeah, except that you're going back to Hogwarts."

"It's only a year, and I have Christmas break, and Easter break to spend with you. You can always come and see me on Hogsmeade weekends too." Hermione whispered, her voice soft, anticipating the parting.

"That's a long time." Ron said.

"I'll write a letter every day," Hermione replied, and she uncrossed her legs and pulled them up so that she had her arms wrapped around them. "And you will reply just as often. Then it won't feel as though we are apart."

Ron looked at her, "You know I won't write every day."

"But you can try," she teased him.

"Yeah right."

"Try, you might actually be able to. It doesn't have to be a long letter," She told him.

"Letters aren't the same," he said sadly, softly, staring downwards.

"No, they aren't, but I'll be back, it's only a year," Hermione said, and she took her arm away from her legs, and brought it up to Ron's face, turning it up so that he looked at her again. "And then I'll be back. We have to grow up Ron. We can't be the golden trio forever. It's time we take out separate paths, go on our own ways. But we still can be together, friends forever."

Ron leaned forward, and kissed her. Hermione didn't say more, but kissed him back. When they broke apart from the soft kiss, Ron stood up, helping Hermione up after him, and he kissed her again, for that was all they needed to know that the other would always be there, no matter the pain, or distance, or separation.


End file.
